Cram several dozen spectacular thousand-year-old temple complexes into an area the size of a small Canadian city and you've got Angkor. We've just spent three days (far too short) to behold the remnants of these Angkorian capitals that were built between the 9th and 12th centuries AD. Alone, each of these complexes takes your breath away, but to see that one country houses such historic relics is astounding. Even though the temples are spread out over a vast land area, the majority are accessible by bicycle and that's what we used for two days. What's nice about bicycle travel is the chance to go at your own pace and stop where you like. The park is lush and green, even in the dry season, which makes for lovely surroundings. The only issue is the intense heat, unlike anything we've experienced before on this trip. With temperatures approaching 40C by midday, temple visits in the hot sun leave you drenched with sweat and in desparate need of water. But, it's a small price to pay for such beautiful sights. We hope to post photos soon.
We've stayed in Siem Reap for the last five nights. It is a town centred around tourism due to its proximity to the Angkor Archaeological Park. For this reason, it boasts tons of Western restaurants and five-star hotels, which probably detracts from its original charm. But, it has been a very relaxing place to rest our heads for a few days. We've taken advantage of the cheap price of cocktails and beer, visited the handicraft markets and even took in a traditional Khmer dance performance. We've had the opportunity to stay at a lovely family-run guesthouse called Bou Savy, which has a peaceful central courtyard and complimentary breakfast.
With only nine days left in our 100-day journey, we are having nostalgic feelings of the beginning of our trip and wish we could go back to that level of excitement. But, we're also looking forward to what lies ahead.
Today, we head to Battambang for a few days before continuing onto Bangkok for our final week.
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